Building community bridges through writing in English

Are you one of the 1.8 billion people in the world that speaks and writes in English?

English is the widest spoken language in the world, and it is the gateway and foundation to globalization. When you write in English, you have the potential to reach the whole world since English is recognized as an official language in 67 independent and 27 autonomous countries around the world.

Why is it so important to have a common language?

A bilingual person who speaks Spanish and English can understand 1 in 3 people who connect to the internet, or put another way, inspire, motivate, educate and influence 1 in 3 people across the globe.  They can also access over 60% of everything published on the web, according to Berlitz.

What stops people from writing and sharing their knowledge to such a broad audience?

We all live such busy lives that finding the time to write is a challenge.  With so many distractions in our day-to-day lives, many people talk themselves out of writing before they even get started.  They are also conscious about their writing abilities and their spelling or grammar, which nowadays is easily taken care of with Chat AI and other editing programs readily available.

How can you get started on writing and helping to bridge the gap between different cultures through the English Language?

We all work best in a collaboration of like-minded people, but when you move to a new country, how do you find those people?  Is it possible to integrate into your new country or do you feel divided from the local population? A common language is the key to finding ‘your tribe’ and you can choose to deliberately settle in a neighborhood which more commonly speaks your language, or you can choose to integrate into the local way of life and your new community. Be inspired to contribute to local blogs or newspapers as a way to contribute.

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The written word is the key to finding your community

For those of you reading this column, you have likely found it through a social media post, a google search, loyalty to a local newspaper or by word of mouth.  Either way, you are reading this because it is written in English. You are hoping to find something interesting to do in Puerto Vallarta or a way to connect with other English-speaking people who call this home. I’m writing it because I want to inspire more people to write and share their knowledge and wisdom to make this world a better place.

What are you going to write about?

As a book publisher for the last 13 years, I ask my writers, ‘how do you think you can help other people by sharing your story?’  Once they have the motivation to help people, I guide them to tell the story of how they overcame their challenges in life or share their experiences ‘how to’ to make it easier for the next person dealing with a new environment. When you move to a new country, it’s so much easier to be able to search for answers on the internet or social media or find the connections you need to answer all the questions you have about day to day living.

How can you help in your community by sharing your knowledge?

Whether you choose to contribute to an article to a local newspaper or blog, write your own blog, or contribute to an anthology book as an expert or a contributing author, think about how many times people say to you ‘I didn’t know that’.  What were you talking about?  Was it your travel experiences? Your local knowledge of the area?  Business or financial advice?  Health or fitness information? Cultural, arts or entertainment? We would love to hear from you about your area of expertise and how you can share your wisdom about living in Puerto Vallarta.  We are actively seeking contributing writers for an anthology book about the People of Vallarta, and we would love to hear your story!

This will be a weekly column where we will be inspiring writers and featuring local authors that live in Puerto Vallarta.  We will be giving you an inside look at the purpose of their writing and how they crafted their story to have an impact on their readers.

Julie Ann is the founder of Influence Publishing Inc, corporation from Vancouver, Canada.  She has lived in Puerto Vallarta for 5 years and is the owner of the Mexican Corporation, Casa de Influencia S.A. de C.V. which is a retreat and event center based in Old Town, Puerto Vallarta.  She hosts writing retreats and writing classes at the center. Opportunities to be a contributing author in one of the many Anthology book projects she is publishing can be found at www.casadeinfluencia.com